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Hot Spots?

Happy soggy Friday to you! I don’t know about where you live, but here in Tennessee it seems like it’s rained almost every day for weeks. Earlier this week we had day after day of storms. One day was nothing but thunder and lightning all day long. My poor dog Beau was beside himself. He’s the one who’s scared of thunder and loud noises. I’ve written about our mutual problem before. I don’t like loud noises much myself, but I think the problem we share is that we can both feel these storms approaching. There’s a palpable drop in pressure when these big thunder boomers roll in. As soon as I feel the pressure drop, there’s Beau coming to sit next to me. That makes me think that he feels it, too. But, all things considered, I think he got through the storms very well. I had to get down in the floor with him and hold him for a little while one morning when the thunder and lightning were so bad they made the house shake, but otherwise he’s managed very well.

My yard is so damp and soaked right now that the ground squished when I went out to check on the bird feeder last night. Mowing grass is not a possibility right now. Luckily it’s not too high. Unfortunately these conditions — damp wet grass, high humidity — can cause some dogs to develop hot spots. They are sometimes call “moist eczema” or “pyotraumatic dermatitis.” I’ll have to watch Beau to see if he develops one. He’s had them before. If you don’t know about hot spots you should consider yourself lucky. Hot spots are sudden skin irritations that can flare up seemingly overnight, often on a dog’s legs or stomach — areas that may come in contact with wet grass or other irritants.

Hot spots are usually distinct from other skin irritations because they tend to be circular and the hair is simply gone from the affected patch of skin. These patches appear very suddenly. There is also some speculation that the dog’s diet may be involved in producing a hot patch. Diets that are very high in protein seem to be implicated. Hot spots can also occur if your dog has mats. The mats can trap moisture close to your dog’s skin. Some dogs seem to be more prone to developing hot spots than others. With my dogs, Beau is the only one who’s ever developed a hot spot, but he’s developed them on several occasions.

If your dog has a hot spot there are a few things that you can do to clear it up:

1. Trim or shave the hair around the affected area

2. Wash the area with an antiseptic. Many dog people like to use original Listerine mouthwash.

3. Dust the area with a good medicated powder such as Gold Bond Powder.

You will need to keep treating the area. Your dog may keep bothering it. He may lick at it or chew himself so be prepared to wash the area again and reapply the medicated powder. Hot spots usually clear up in just a couple of days if you can get your dog to leave them alone.

If your dog won’t leave the area alone or if the area isn’t healing then you should pay a visit to your vet. The hot spot could become infected if it doesn’t heal properly.

Hot spots have a tendency to occur just when you most want your dog to look nice — right before a dog show or when you want to show him off to family and friends.

As health and skin problems go, hot spots are usually a small problem but anything that causes your dog discomfort needs care. With these soggy days and (sometimes) high grass outside, pay attention to your dog’s skin.